PREVIEW | Giro d'Italia 2025 stage 14 - Groves, Kooij and Pedersen face off in another bunch sprint
Cycling
The Corsa Rosa is the first Grand Tour of the season and this year it will include a start in a nation that will for the first time in it's history host a Grand Tour, Albania; and also several mountain stages in it's second half whilst the first half will feature some tricky stages including one that goes through a lot of the Strade Bianche course. We preview stage 14.
The race heads abroad once again, but curiously with a day that should suit the sprinters. There is no meaningful climbing with the start in Treviso, whilst the riders climb slightly into the border with Slovenia. There should be a bunch sprint taking place in Nova Gorica later on.
Treviso - Nova Gorica, 195 kilometers
The peloton heads east, mostly pan-flat, but there are a couple of kickers in the final kilometers that will make it a bit more interesting. There will be a 700-meter long climb at 7% that will be ridden on both the laps in the final circuit on the border city, and this will end with 8 kilometers on both occasions. Positioning will be key, tension will be high, and we may see attacks to try and disrupt the natural order of the stage.
Even if we see a bunch sprint, it can be quite a chaotic one due to the circuit's route. The final kilometers are quite technical and it will not be easy to organize a chase, and so next to the rain station in Nova Gorica we may see several scenarios play out.
The Weather
Map Giro d'Italia 2025 stage 14
A slight northern breeze, but one that shouldn't affect the outcome of the stage.
The Favourites
It's going to be a stage for a sprint. No matter how much Mads Pedersen works during this race, fatigue doesn't get to him, and Lidl-Trek can easily control this finale with Mathias Vacek if they so want and carry things to yet another sprint that could suit the Dane.
But the reality is that several others will certainly survive, with no doubt. Kaden Groves climbed quite well today, and will be ready for any bunch sprint that comes to be. Olav Kooij can definitely survive the climbs, likely Visma will work for the bunch sprint but since Kooij has won, perhaps Wout van Aert will try to attack the final climb - someone like Tom Pidcock or Mathias Vacek could match him and go on to fight for the win there.
Casper van Uden, Paul Magnier, Milan Fretin, Matteo Moschetti, Sam Bennett, Max Kanter, Maikel Zijlaard, Orluis Aular, Filippo Fiorelli, Luca Mozzato, Giovanni Lonardi, Corbin Strong and Matevz Govekar are the other
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Prediction Giro d'Italia 2025 stage 14:
*** Kaden Groves, Olav Kooij, Mads Pedersen
** Casper van Uden
* Mathias Vacek, Wout van Aert, Paul Magnier, Milan Fretin, Matteo Moschetti, Max Kanter, Maikel Zijlaard, Sam Bennett
** Casper van Uden
* Mathias Vacek, Wout van Aert, Paul Magnier, Milan Fretin, Matteo Moschetti, Max Kanter, Maikel Zijlaard, Sam Bennett
Pick: Kaden Groves
How: Regular bunch sprint
Original: Rúben Silva
23 teams, one epic race: wildcards are locked in!💥 Who are you rooting for?📢
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) March 31, 2025
23 squadre, una corsa epica: le Wildcard sono state assegnate!💥 Per chi fai il tifo?📢#GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/5qTRkk4KTP
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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